Life As We Know It
by The Lady Avaritia
Summary: ANBU after Itachi's deflection. The routine will never be the same. Some legends fade. Companion piece to Bang the Bass.


**Title: Life As We Know It**

**Rating: **T  
><strong>Spoilers: <strong>general

**Characters**: Kurenai, Kakashi, Anko  
><strong>Summary: <strong> Companion piece to Bang the Bass. ANBU after Itachi.

**Disclaimer: **disclaimed

**Author Note:**

**Author: **_Lady Avaritia_

Anko was sitting on one of the desks in the ANBU waiting room. Kurenai was fixing her hair in front of the cracked mirror hanging by a half-dead plant. Kakashi was lounging on one of the worn-out ugly green couches. Across the room Ebisu was hiding his bloodshot eyes behind a pair of sunglasses. The guards appeared to be dozing, their faces hidden behind the panther masks.

The air was thick and chocking, heavy with all the things they weren't saying to each other.

'Oi, Kurenai, d'ya have the report for mission 2378. I wanna copy it,' Anko called lazily.

'Yeah…I have it,' the other woman frowned as a lose strand of hair refused to do what she wanted it to.

'I'm dreadfully bored,' Kakashi stated.

'I think you should get on with doing your actual jobs, and…'

'Just shut up and nurse your hangover in silence, damn it!' Anko yelled at Ebisu, her finger twitching a little with the desire to summon a snake or two.

'Anko…'Kurenai said softly.

'I wish Itachi was here,' she spoke finally in a quiet voice.

Everyone in the room froze, the air covered with icicles, as everyone stood motionless. The words that they had all wanted to say echoed dully off the grey walls and drilled in the cold silence.

'Me too,' Kurenai admitted finally.

'Yeah,' Kakashi said.

'You're all insane here!' Ebisu exclaimed and walked out, bumping twice on the doorframe.

After that, the uncomfortable silence set itself in the corner by the half-dead plant once again.

It had barely been a week after the most renowned ANBU captain, and praised genius Itachi had massacred his entire clan.

No one had seen it coming. After Shisui's suicide, they had all been so struck with grief, so absorbed in each other…

No one had seen it coming.

And they were all blaming themselves and each other. _If only we had noticed…_

'What do you think made him do it?' Kurenai asked quietly. They hadn't spoken about it. They'd avoided the issue, changed the topic awkwardly.

'He was pretty tense after Shisui…after Shisui…you know…,' Anko broke off helplessly.

'After he killed himself,' Kakashi stated bluntly.

'Yeah…'

'Well, didn't Shisui say in his death note that he was tired of the clan's rules? You know how close Itachi was to him… Maybe he wanted to avenge his death on the family…' Kurenai offered uncertainly.

'I heard he told his little brother that he was testing his potential,' Anko mused.

'Oh, Kami, his little brother! What's going to happen to that poor child now? All his family…' Kurenai seemed unable to continue.

'Whatever…' Anko snapped. She hated moments like this. She hated talks about feelings, and sadness, and crying women. And Kurenai was crying now, big fat tears rolling down her cheeks.

'Let's go to a bar tonight,' Kakashi offered, ever the calm one.

'How can you be thinking of such things, when, when…' the red-eyed woman sobbed.

'Okay...' Anko said hesitantly.

'No "Okay" that place is lame,' Kakashi chirped in immediately.

'"Okay" is lame? I thought "Lame" was a gay bar... Or is that "Wrong"?'  
>'That's wrong, that's not "Wrong".'<br>'"Closed" is opened!'  
>'No, "Closed" is closed.'<p>

'Just pick a bar, okay?'

'Not "Okay" "Okay" is lame.'

'"Lame" is a gay bar!'

'I'll just go to 'Hopeless',' Kurenai said quietly.

'Well, 'Was' is making a grand reopening, that I wanted to visit…Kakashi?' Anko asked.

'I'd rather pass by 'Lame' by myself and look for that guy that I discussed politics with…'

'Discussing politics, is that what you call it?' Anko grinned.

'Well, I'll be going then…Ja!' Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

'He didn't' hand in his mission report, the bastard!' Anko yelled. 'Oh, crap, I'm already late for the grand reopening…'

'It's okay…you can go. I'll wait and hand your report too… We should all go to 'Hopeless' together sometime.'

'Yeah…,' Anko agreed, 'Sometime.'

It never happened though.

No matter how many times Kurenai went to 'Hopeless' none of the remaining members from her ANBU squad were there, so she just settled for the company of Asuma.

Eventually, Anko quit ANBU in favor of starting a sparkling career as the most sadistic Chuunin examiner, only second to Morino Ibiki.

Kakashi remained a little longer, but eventually decided to give his dog mask, and put his days as ANBU's bitch behind him, in favor of many, many political discussions…

Kurenai also gave up on ANBU. She became a genin instructor with the hopes of getting Uchiha Sasuke on her team, and taking care of the poor, broken boy. Instead she was assigned one Hyuga Hinata, an orphan in her own family.

Eventually the best ANBU team of Konoha never came back together.


End file.
